Frequently asked questions

You will be able to start designing your home as soon as you have secured your lot with a contract, and we encourage you to contact the Design Review Committee for a preliminary briefing at the earliest opportunity. We expect Stage 1 civil works to be completed by September 2016 with land settlements occurring thereafter. Stage 2 civil works are expected to be completed by mid-late 2017. Once you have gained Step 2 Developed Design Approval from the Mullum Creek Design Review Committee, you will need to apply for a planning permit from the City of Manningham.

Construction is expected to be completed on each lot within four years from the date of settlement of the lot. This is to ensure that the estate is finished within a reasonable time, and to reduce the inconvenience arising from retention of vacant lots and continuous building.

While we have a list of designers who are familiar with the Mullum Creek guidelines and produce beautiful, sustainable buildings, you are not required to use them. Nonetheless we are confident that using these professionals will help you design and build at Mullum Creek efficiently and easily. If you do select your own design and construction professionals, we strongly recommend that they are skilled in working with sloping sites, design guidelines, and sustainability principles.

Mullum Creek encourages high quality design that is contemporary, innovative and beautiful and within this framework no particular styles are required. In facilitating the design of contemporary buildings that will retain their appeal, reproduction period architecture will not be approved.

Pets are allowed at Mullum Creek. However, given the estate’s proximity to the Mullum Mullum Creek flora and fauna corridor, some restrictions apply. Cats must be confined at all times to the owner’s property within secure areas such as the house and external ‘cat cages’. In some lots directly adjoining reserves dogs may be restricted to certain parts of the property to minimize the risk to wildlife.

The open space and reserve will be owned and managed by the City of Manningham, and will be maintained as both open field and bushland. Management will involve replanting with indigenous species, weed and vermin control and mowing. Habitat for fauna will be enhanced through retaining both dead standing trees as well as logs, sticks and leaf litter on the ground.

The reserves are public land zoned for public conservation and recreation purposes, and form part of the Mullum Creek Linear Park. The creek, its environment and the Mullum trail are all widely recognised as regionally significant ecological and recreational resources. The land will not be developed for either housing or sports facilities.

Most of the land across the creek is classified as ‘green wedge’, with a minimum subdivision size of 8 hectares (20 acres), and restrictions on how the land can be used. This area will remain as green wedge for the foreseeable future. Melbourne’s urban boundary, which defines the border between urban development and rural ‘green wedge’ areas, runs parallel to the Mullum Creek, directly bordering the estate. There are some residential areas falling within the Low Density Residential Zone across the creek (e.g. Tralee Court to the northeast, Nengerman Drive to the southeast) where the minimum lot size is one acre. These lots have already been developed.

Off-peak along the Eastern Freeway can be a quick journey indeed, at best less than 20 minutes from Mullum Creek to the end of the freeway at Hoddle Street. In peak periods, obviously, times will be much longer, as the Eastern Freeway fills with traffic for some time at morning and afternoon peaks.

The Mullum Creek Design Guidelines ensure that homes and landscaping in the estate are highly sustainable and of high aesthetic quality. You will be provided with several free consultations with the Mullum Creek design and sustainability consultants, to assist you to achieve the home you desire in a way that is consistent with the Guidelines. Your designs will be submitted to the Mullum Creek Design Review Committee (DRC) at several stages, which will give you the OK to advance your project once it has ‘ticked all the boxes’. Mullum Creek design and sustainability consultants may offer advice or provide information on how to most effectively address the Guidelines. The Mullum Creek incentives packages can cover the cost of some early building design, landscape design and/or ESD consultations, and our DRC can provide further detailed advice on meeting the Guidelines and integrating sustainability measures. Governance arrangements covering the legal status of the Mullum Creek Design Guidelines have been negotiated with the City of Manningham.

No, there is no body corporate nor ongoing management responsibilities or fees associated with the development. In the event that a Residents Association or similar is formed, membership will be voluntary.

Mullum Creek

Mullum Creek is located on Wurundjeri country.
We acknowledge the Wurundjeri people as the Traditional Custodians of the of the land and respect their continuing connection to land, water and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures; and to elders both past and present.